


The Return of a Song 1.0

by elirwen



Series: The Return of a Song [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, Happy Ending, M/M, Modern Era, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-25
Updated: 2012-04-25
Packaged: 2017-11-04 07:33:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/391342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elirwen/pseuds/elirwen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It has been twenty years since Arthur's return and Merlin still hadn't found the courage to find him. But nothing can stop destiny.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Return of a Song 1.0

**Author's Note:**

> It all started with my laptop breaking down after I'd finished my merlin games entry. And of course I hadn't made any backup. So, I wrote the fic again from memory.  
> This week, I finally bought myself a box for my hard disc, and now I decided to post both versions.

It'd been almost twenty years. Twenty years from the moment his magic'd started singing.

Again.

* * *

Merlin liked libraries. He liked the calm, the quiet, the rustling of paper, the patter of fingers running over the keyboard, the hushed talking, sometimes a sigh or a stifled laugh.

He felt like he read every single book that had been written, but it did not stop him from returning, each day pulling a different book from one of the shelves, caressing the cover, feeling the faint hints of others who held it in their hands. 

He kept returning to the Arthurian legend, even though not one of the stories was right. It was a little bit like going home, a connection to the past that made him feel more alive and real.

He was used to the feel of wild energy of youth that was seeping from some of the volumes, the ones read by an enthusiastic history student or a fan of the newest blockbuster about the greatest king of all time. 

He was also used to the calm of mature mind or the angry notes of a student forced to read the text just to get a good grade.

But as he touched that particular book, he felt nothing but one strong trail.

Arthur.

* * *

He stared at the volume in his hands before he put it back to the shelf and trailed his hand over the spines of its neighbours. Hints of Arthur were on at least half of them and Merlin knew they were fresh, scattered just a few days apart during last two weeks. 

He stumbled back, sitting in the closest chair heavily, startling a young woman from across the table who gave him a weird look before going back to her work. 

He tried to convince himself to leave, to find all the reasons why he didn't try to contact or even find Arthur before. 

He remembered the insecurities he gathered through the hundreds of years of waiting. What if Arthur didn't recognize him? What if he didn't remember their past life? What if he wouldn't love Merlin ever again?

But it was all pushed aside when he actually sensed Arthur's presence emanating from the paper. 

A decision made, he walked to the other side of the hall and sit there, waiting.

* * *

Two hours later, Arthur entered the hall, looking exactly the same as centuries ago, and headed straight for the history department. 

Merlin couldn't tear his gaze off him. 

* * *

Minutes were passing with Merlin pretending to be interested in the cook book in front of him while he kept stealing glances at Arthur who was by now going through his sixth tome. He changed his seat everytime he went for another one, getting closer to Merlin, and now he was only two rows away.

* * *

The seventh book in hands, Arthur sat down across from Merlin whose head was swimming from the sudden proximity of his former lover.

He was staring at the page with a recipe for a chocolate cake, not seeing a word of it. 

He heard Arthur turning a page and risked a glance up.

The pair of the most beautiful blue eyes was staring right back at him, studying him intensely, and he couldn't break free from that kind of attention.

"Merlin," he more saw than heard Arthur whispering. 

"Arthur," he whispered back. 

"Merlin," Arthur said again, his voice still low, and reached for one of Merlin's hands. "You waited."

As their hands touched, Merlin's magic reacted, stopping everything around them, and Merlin scrambled over the table and onto Arthur's lap, pressing his lips to Arthur's, touching every part of him to reassure himself that yes, it was really happening. 

"I was dreaming about the past, about you and it felt so real. I thought I was losing my mind," Arthur mumbled into the skin of Merlin's neck. "And then I saw you here today."

"I should have looked for you, but I was scared you wouldn't be the Arthur I knew," Merlin whispered, his relief mixing with shame.

"We're together now," Arthur cut him off. "I don't want to waste time with apologies."

"Okay," Merlin answered and smiled at Arthur. "Hold on tight," he said, right before his eyes flashed gold.

* * *

Nobody noticed anything was amiss when the time started flowing again after the reunited lovers left, leaving only two abandoned books behind.

**Author's Note:**

> Also on [my lj](http://elirwen.livejournal.com/37862.html).


End file.
